At least you've got an easy easy game next.

I'll swap you.

At least you are gonna get to pump us next weekend.

Honestly lads, I'm not even confident about next week.

I just want to reiterate the whole NO HOME WINS SINCE AUGUST thing. It's getting beyond a joke now.

I was actually laughing as he took off Russell and Armstrong. It's almost like he's now just taking the pash out the supporters.

"Honestly lads, I'm not even confident about next week."

You should be.

It'll be a battle to see who is the least pash of the two teams.

Maybe the boycott wasn't such a bad thing afterall

I thought you'd challenge us for second, I watched you thrash Hibs by three goals on the first game of the season and believed you would be closest to us, although still considerably behind.

I have never trusted Houston, any man who says Levein is the right man for the job and should be given more time.

Is doing the work of the DEVIL!

Have you ever seen him in a House Of God?

Henrik, I was expecting us to be up there aswell to be honest.

However, I didn't anticipate how desperately poor we would be defensively or that Houston would start making bizarre tactical decisions at every turn.

It's been a frustrating season so far.

I think Houston is just typical of the average SPL manager these days who continually underplay their players' ability and their teams' expectations in order to make the job they have done seem better at the end of the season. He continually moans about finances but United have cut their squad for a few years now and have still achieved top six finishes, at the end of the day failing to win at Tannadice from August until February at the earliest is abysmal.

Craig Brown is the same he continually underplays everything and is regarded as a good manager by the media when he has been doing an awful job at one of the league's bigger clubs.

If you listen to Houston in the media it's never his fault.

He makes dreadful decisions during games but it's never because of that we get beat - it's the players or the officials or a wee bit unlucky or whatever else.

It is his fault though. Clearly.

What's really annoyed me about his whole contract thing is that he went on in the media about how senior pros at the club had to accept reduced terms because the club didn't have money, but when it came to his discussions he refused point blank to take a reduction. Hypocrite.

Maybe the boycott wasn't such a bad thing afterall

Houstons a poor manager, united have some cracking players and he struggles with them. Better manager and you would be much higher in the table

Keny, I've not had the chance to applaud you on your WUM thread yet.

So GMS isn't 100% fit and Armstrong, Russell, Daly and Rankin were not at their best...But it was Houstons fault?

Just saying....

Hector, GMS came back from two months out last weekend and has made three 60 minute appearances in the last week.

However, he certainly didn't look like he was struggling when he came off. Armstrong and Russell both played reasonably well I felt - both looked threats. Daly wasn't as involved as I'd like. Rankin has been out of form for a while yet but always plays, despite us having both Ryan and Millar in reserve (Houston signings).

The reason it's his fault is that he sets out the tactics and changed from a moderately attacking set up (not cavalier) to a thoroughly defensive one, despite the fact that our defence is clearly our weakest area of our team. You have players who want to go forward playing unnaturally and the shape of the team goes to pieces.

I'll give you an example of what I mean. In the game today Ivan Sproule was their only real threat, particularly second half. He played right midfield against Barry Douglas. Douglas was struggling with him and when GMS went off I thought it was designed to help Rankin get back in to help Douglas and double up on their dangerman. That didn't happen at any stage. He was still left 1 v 1. Now I'm not a managerial expert, but if they have one real threat you shut it down, especially if you're moving to a defensive set up. As it was their goal came from a ball releasing Sproule and he rolled it back for it to be touched to Brittain to score with a fine finish. The defence was entirely lop sided with Gunning and Dillon pushing forward and Douglas dropping deep to cover the runs of Sproule. This was never rectified by the manager. And as I said in the main article the effects of having GMS on the park on their team had positive tactical ramifications for us.

So yes, it was the managers fault.

I only sort of half listened on the radio today, I couldn't believe it after we went 1-0 up (GMS) he was then subbed. My first thought was 'he's our best player, he's just scored, this is just going to give County a lift. . I have long defended Houston on here and now he's making me look like a fool.

But I am not encouraged by the thought of S Pressley taking over much

Still we never got beat, and Rangers struggled against the mighty Montrose so we might make the quarters of the cup yet.

Still looking forward next week though, what a game for our first home win since august COYT

Ivan,
You're now joining the Houston must go club.
Manyof us have been saying that for a while now.
His last minute subs today were for me an 'up you' to the the supporters and Thompson.
Daly and Flood, his mates' kept on but take off players who might have won the game.
The man is now being found big style as the useless individual that he is.
If utd cant afford to punt him now then tell the supporters that but remove him from picking the team.

Right now I don't know if I'd trust him to be in charge for the Rangers game, let me manage the rangers game, just hoping the large home support does its job.

shed boy, I do believe I owe you a pint

Couldnt agree more Ivan! totally diabolical substitutions, we havent won a home game since august and yet he makes timewasting substitutions in the last minute ffs!

Westcoastarab,
We'll go double or quits on the next manager.
If the papers are right then it looks like Pressley is the man.
Nothing obvious sugests him as being the best man for the job but we have to believe Thompson will have done his homework.
Irrespective Houston must go now.

I just wonder why houston is "bemused" by our home form? can he really not see what the rest of us can? Rankin has been awful all season and yet hasn't missed a game, flood is a trier but just isnt skilled enough in my opinion and cant hang onto the ball for more than a few seconds. we still cant defend corners and our defence also gives the ball away far too easily. Houston has poved useless in the transfer market as we are all aware, we have a very poorly balanced squad, four goalkeepers yet only five recognised defenders! an over abundance of midfielders and yet he still wont shake things up in that part of the team.He is also, as yesterday conclusively proved, inept in making tactical changes. please Peter go now whilst we can still remember the good times!

To be fair to Willo, he's been excellent for us the last couple of months. Improved massively. He's won the ArabTrust player of the month the last two months.

What makes him worse is that not only is he clueless with team selection, subs, tactics and what appears to be motivation he is too arrogant to see it.
He says the team were lacking in belief.
Is that not part of the manager's role to instill belief in his players.
He was happy to take the credit when we won at Dens.
Lose or draw its the players. Win it was him.